Palestinian Detainees Subjected to Torture, Abuse in Israeli Prisons: UN Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians during the Gaza war and faces accusations of torture, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported.
The 23-page report, released on Wednesday, highlights allegations of widespread abuse of prisoners held incommunicado and under arbitrary, prolonged detention.
It comes amid a tense standoff in Israel, where far-right politicians and demonstrators oppose an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of detainees by soldiers, Al Jazeera reported.
Based on interviews with released detainees and victims from October 7 to June 30, the UN report found that since the war began, "thousands of Palestinians," including medical staff, have been "taken from Gaza to Israel, usually shackled and blindfolded."
As of the end of June, Israel’s prison service held more than 9,400 "security detainees," the report stated, adding that detainees have been "held in secret, without being given a reason for their detention" and without access to a lawyer.
“At least 53 Palestinian detainees” are known to have died in Israeli detention facilities, it said. It also detailed "allegations of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, including sexual abuse of women and men."
The report was released during an investigation by the Israeli army, which is questioning nine soldiers over allegations of "substantial abuse" of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev desert.
Last week, eight Palestinian prisoners released by the Israeli army reported experiencing torture during their time in Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
Former Palestinian detainees told the UN they were held in "cage-like facilities, stripped naked for prolonged periods, wearing only diapers."
The documented abuse included food, sleep, and water deprivation and being burned with cigarettes.
"Some detainees said dogs were released on them, and others said they were subjected to waterboarding, or that their hands were tied and they were suspended from the ceiling. Some women and men also spoke of sexual and gender-based violence," the report said.
Palestinian detainees in occupied territories are mostly men and boys who are residents, doctors, patients, and captured Palestinian fighters, it added.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated the testimonies gathered by his office and "other entities indicate a range of appalling acts ... in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law."
The Israeli military rarely explains its reasons for detaining Palestinians in Gaza, although in some cases it has alleged affiliation with Palestinian armed groups or their political wings, the report added.
Israel also refuses to disclose information on the fate of detainees, and the Red Cross has been denied access to jails and other facilities.
